Well, it might be time for a brief bit of history tonight. With the Fourth of July just around the corner, you would think I would write about something Patriotic, or Presidential.
And you are right.
It is a little known story about President Rutherford B. Hayes. He was the son of Johnny Beto Hayes and Martha Kingsbee. Born, in Delaware, Ohio. His father Johnny was a pottery maker. And the family grew up largely on the wares and profits of Johnny’s pottery work.
Martha, did a lot of volunteering for the local Catholic Church. At a Spring Jamboree, Martha was on the Rosary Alter Committee for the church in Delaware. I am not sure what you do on the Rosary Alter Society, but my Mom was on one too, when I was growing up. At any rate, Martha met one Appoloinia Kronenberger during the Spring Jamboree. Appolonia is my great great grandmother.
How cool is that.?
They started staying in touch, and ended up moving up to Crawford County, Ohio, where the Kronenbergers lived. Johnny Beto Hayes, and my great, great grandfather Andrew… became fast friends.
As Rutherford B. Hayes was growing up, he took an interest in the pottery business.
Now, my grandfather was a gunsmith. He had a gunsmith shop in Bucyrus, Ohio. And wouldn’t you know. Just two doors down…. old Johnny’ Beto set up his pottery store.
As Rutherford grew he continued to have a great interest in this skill and artistry. He decided to give it a go for a living on his own. But there wasn’t much money in it at that point. Instead, he went to a local high school and started teaching art and pottery there.
Rutherford made a great teacher. In fact, his classes were full and the student found this entire process highly interesting. Rutherford became very popular, not only at the high school, but also in the county. People thought he should go into politics.
But he would not be dissuaded from his true love in life. Pottery. And….. He was happy. School was going great, until one frightful day. Rutherford got a little too close to the kiln. At which point…. he was fired. Yes. Fired.
Kiln. Fired. (Sorry)
From that day forward, he decided to explore politics. And ten years later, he became the 19th President of the United States.
Here is another little fact about Rutherford. He had two pet geese while living at the White House.
While his ranking of presidential success, coming in at #29, is not the greatest… you have got to love a guy with a goose. And a kiln. Even if he was fired.
And, the most interesting part of this entire story is that it is mostly fiction. Sure, there may be a couple of facts, smattered here and there. Which serves as just a reminder for all of us. Don’t believe every story you read or hear about politics. It could be someone’s creation, much like throwing a ball of clay on the pottery wheel and shaping it any way one pleases.
So don’t get burnt by standing too close to the kiln. It will cook your goose…and someone might just yell out… “You’re FIRED.”